Post-hole digger



P. I. MALBON, In.

POST HOLE DIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l1, 1918.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

P. I. NIALBON, In.

Pos1 HOLE DIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1I, 1918.

' l ,322,920 Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

EEES PATENT FFIE.

PH'ILIP VJ. MALBON, JR., or NonroLK, VIRGINiA.

i Postr-HOLE BIGGER'.

Toallfwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP J. MALBON, Jr., a Vcitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Norfolln in the county of Norfolk and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Post-HoleDiggers, of which the *following is a specification.

This invention relates to Vnew .and useful improvements in 'post holediggers and more particularly to those known as the pivoted-j aw type inwhich the cutting members, "comprising two 'substantially semicircularsheet metal plates, having cutting 'edges formed on their lower ends,vare pivotally mounted upona head block and adapted to be held in openposition when the digger is forced into the ground to loosen the dirt,andi'then brought together to tightly clamp lthedirt when it lis'topberemoved from the hole. y v n The main obJect of my invention 1s toprovide a more simple, durable and eflicient f diggerV havingV asingle-handle and one that is vsimple in construction, and more easilyoperable than the old and customary digger Yhaving a handlefor each oneof the plvotved jaw members.

Various other objects and modifications will be brought out in thefollowing specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich like numerals Vand characters represent like parts throughout thedifferent figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of in open position, preparatory driveninto the ground. Y

'Fig 2 is a side elevationl of the same, showing the jaws in closedposition.-

Fig. 3 is a sectional view. on'the line a-a, Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 4 -is a sectional view on the line 5 1),

my digger to being Fig. 1.

Fig..5 is a side elevation showing a modification of' the lever armsmounted on lthe cutting members. 'Y

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line c-c, Fig. 5 illustrating inturnedends on the guide rods andthe channels in the lever arms for thereception of the inturned ends.

Fig. 7 shows a further modification, in which channels are formed on theinner faces of the lever arms for the receptionvof the singleV guiderods secured to veach -side of the driving head.

Y Specification of vLetters Patent. Patented NQV, 25, 1919Appucation'ied 'May 11, 191s. serialivolsazaaes'.v i l Fig. 8 is asectional view onthe lined-d, Fig. 7.

I will now describe my digger linmore minute detail, as shown in thedrawings,`

in which the cutter blades 10 and L'11 are`T` pivotally mounted upon ablock 12,v by means ofthe bolts 13 'passing entirely through the block12, and having lever arms 14 and 15, provided with cam; faces 16,secured 'any suitable mannerl upon the upper edge of the blades. Theupper ends of the'lever arms14 and 15 have holes 17, shown in dottedlines, passing through the upper ends the yoke 19, through which in turntheV handle 20 of the digger passes.v j

rlhe handle 20 has secured, either perthereof, for the reception of theends 18r of manently or detachably, to itslower end a blade-operatingdisk'21, having guide rodsl 22 fastened'to itsr under face by anysuitable means, although in the present instance the fastening isdisclosed as comprising its lower end'divided so thatchains 26 and 27will connect thelower end-of, chain 23 with the tops of'both of thelever arms 14 and 15 in which eye bolts'28 are secured to provideterminals for said chains.

`One modification of my digger is vdisclosed in Figs. 5 and 6, in whichthe lever arms 14 and 15 are shown provided with slots 29 and 30 formedin both faces thereof to receive the inturned ends 31 of the guide rods22, while a further modification, of'much ,simpler construction, isshown in Figs.'7 and 8, vrIn this form the inner faces of the lever arms14 and 15 are each pr'ovided with a single slot 32 for the reception ofsingle2 guide'rods 'secured in any suitable manner to the sides of theblade opel'- ated disk 21. All of the different forms of guide rodsshown have the same general function, namely, to retain the'operatingdisk '21 in proper position with relation to Tobe'tter illustrate theadvantages of digger I will now describe the manner ofY operation.Previous to the insertion of the digger into the ground tthecuttingblades 10 and 1l must be brought into open kpOsi-f tion, as shownin Fig. 1, and this is'ac'com? plishedvby drawing the upper endsy of thefleverarms 14 and 315 together bymea'nsof the chain 23. Assumingthediggerhas just been drawn from the hole with a charge of dirttherein, the Voperator while grasping 'thehandle'20 in one hand pulls upon the chain 23 with the other. VThis will force the blade operatingdisk21 down against 15 the head block12 and allow the lever arms to be.brought together bythe action of v chain 23 'on thetwoshort'sections 26and thearms v18 on .the yoke 19 acting'as guides forthe leverarmsll and15 in their j20,movement. 'As the'arms are connected to the cuttingVblades 1,0 and 1l, and these in lturn pivoted on the head block 12 bybolts v113,.it is readily seen that the above described movementsyquickly release the dirt and prel pare thedigger for another load. Whenthe digger has been againl inserted into the holeand the operatorfwishesto withdraw a quantityor earth, he releases the chain 23 I and bypulling up on the handle 2() causes 80 ythe'lever arms. 14and 15 to beforced outwardly by the upward motion of the blade operating vdisk 21against Vthe cam faces of the said arms, the guide rods 22 in eachinstance holdingthe disk 21-in proper rela- Y .85 tion to the lever arms14 and 15.

The several modifications shown relate entirely'to the manner ofmounting the guide i rods 22 in relation to the lever arms 14 and 15,and the vmethod of operation would be 40 the same no matter whichconstruction were .used, f f Y Y 1 Having now described my invention indetail. what I claim as newis 1. In a device of theclassdescribed and incombination, two pivotally mounted cutting` blades, cam membersfcarriedby said blades, ahandlehaving a cam member cooperating with the cammembers of said blades andv `movable relative thereto, and

omeans for moving the blades relative to said handle.

2..In a device of tlieclassdescribed andY 'in combination, two pivotallymounted cutting blades, lever arms secured Vto thecut- Y ting blades,cam'surfaces on the lever arms,

a handle, andymeans on the handle for en gagement with said ca mlsurfaces for opening and closing the cutting blades.

3. In a device of the class described and 60 in combination, a headblock, two cutting .blades pivotally mounted on said Y head block, leverarms secured to the upper edges ofthe cutting blades, camsurfaces on thelever arms, a handle, a cam operating disk 626 mounted upon the.hand1aandmeanscar finv combination, a headY block, two ,cutting blades'Vpivotally mounted upon the head Vinner edges' of the lever arms, ahandle,v a

vried by the handle ror eiiecting'relative movement between the disk andlever arms forl opening and closing the cutting blades. 4.*Iiivafd'evice ofthe class described and block, lever arms secured to theupper edges ofY the Vcutting blades, cam surfaces* onl the .leverarins,ia handle, a cam operating disk on the handley adapted to closethe cutting v v blades when the handle is `movedgupvvard,

guiding means between the handle andthe lever` arms, and means foropeningv theY cutting `"blades whenv said blades have-jbeen closed bythe upward motion ofthe handle. s 5. Infaidevicefoftlie class describedand in combination, a head block, two cutting` blades pivotally mountedupon; the headblock, leverjarms secured to .the upper i edgesof thecutting blades, cam surfaces on the lever arms, a handle, a camoperating diskl mounted upon the handle, guiding Vmeans between -the'handle andl the lever arms, .meansfor retaining the cam operating diskin properrelationwith thejlever v arms, and Vmeans forV opening thecutting blades. Y f

6. In a .device of the'cla'ssgdescribed Vand. in combination,yapheadblock, two cutting blades pivotally mounted upon the. -lieajd'sblock, lever farms secured 'to the cutting blades, cam surfaces von thelever larmsya handle, a camV operating 'disk -mounted -upon the handle,a yoke mountedupon thehandle Y Y 4for associating saidh-andle.withfthelever 100 arms, means ror retaining the cam operatJ ing disk inproper relationy-with :the 'lever armsand means .for opening theVcutting blades.,

7. Ina device; ofY the class described and. in combinationa headfblock,two cuttini'. blades' pivotallyinountedupon the head block, lever armssecured to the upper edges of the cutting blades, camfsurfaces -onthe l]cam' Voperating member mounted upon' the v handle, a yoke mounted upontheghandlefoi' Yassociating-said vhandle with the lever arms,

slots formed in the lever arms,means on the cam operating memberforieiigagenient 'with 115 said slots and means mounted upon-the handle'for opening the cuttingfblades.,C

8. In a device of the class describedaiid in combination, aVV headblock, 'two cutting' for engagement with the slots to retain said diskin proper relation tothe lever arms,

.and meau Openingthe 4cutting blades. -130` 9. In a device of the classdescribed and in combination, a head block, tvvo cutting bladespivotally mounted upon the head block, lever arms secured to the cuttingblades and having holes through their upper ends, cam surfaces on theinner edges of the lever arms, a handle, a yoke carried upon the handle,arms upon the yoke passing through the holes in the upper ends of thelever arms, a cam operating member mounted upon the handle, slots formedin the surfaces of the lever arms, guide rods on the cam operatingmember for engagement with the slots and a flexible member carried bythe handle and connected to the lever arms 15 PHILIP J. MALBON, JR.

Witnesses:

IvoR'A. PAGE, IvoR A. PAGE, Jr.

